Out of Bounds
by SMchick
Summary: Sam and Andy's second undercover assignment spins wildly out of control. Take the M rating seriously! Other than Noelle getting a leadership role and Dov being Dov, this fic is all about finally getting hot, steamy McSwarek sex...in a highly inappropriate setting too. ;)
1. Chapter 1

**Out of Bounds**

**Author's Note: **_Sam and Andy's second undercover assignment spins wildly out of control. Take the M rating seriously! Other than Noelle getting a leadership role and Dov being Dov, this fic is all about finally getting epic hot, steamy McSwarek sex followed by frank and fun pillow talk between everyone's favorite couple. Even non-smokers will need a cigarette afterward, so don't say you weren't warned. _

_Since this is my first ever fanfic, I made full use of the few advantages an amateur has over the real writers who get to see the hot cast actually do what they write: being able to have characters swear freely and not having to worry if the police op is way too ridiculous for even TV cops. So prepare to suspend disbelief more than usual. (i.e., This is sort of like polished network-friendly Rookie Blue's trashy 'Skinemax' cousin.) If that sort of lowbrow slumming offends you, consider skipping this one._

_Special note: I think they made some adjustments to cut down on the exhibitionism issue since this hotel/sports complex was first built, but my vague memories of the news stories from years ago are what triggered the idea for this. I don't really know much about the real setup, so again, special suspension of disbelief required by locals or those who have visited the Rogers Center complex. Please don't hate me if you're a sport nuts for whom this is sacred ground._

_I have no rights to Rookie Blue or any of the fantastic characters the real talent created._

**Chapter 1: Steaming the Windows-On Ice No More**

Andy was even more agitated than Sam had expected. "McNally, would you try to relax a little? You don't have to answer any questions convincingly to keep cover this time. All you have to do is 'pretend' a little fooling around with me isn't any more of a chore than it would be for your run of the mill hooker."

She shot him a dirty look, wondering if she'd imagined the slight emphasis on the word 'pretend.' "Yeah, right! Because this is such a simple, straightforward mission." she snorted.

"I'm just saying it doesn't' have to be such a big deal if you think about it the right way. Just pretend I'm one of those utterly unsuitable guys you used to make out with to piss off your Dad. That shouldn't be too much of a stretch from the way you see me anyway, McNally…" Sam said with more bitterness than he'd intended.

"What's that supposed to mean…" she demanded.

"…and you're pretty good at cutting things off that aren't meant to be finished." he added.

"Nothing. Forget it. I shouldn't have said that. Look, why don't you call Nash on her secure cell and try to talk through the jitters? I seem to be making it worse." Sam suggested.

"Fine," she huffed.

Andy chatted nervously on the phone with Traci trying to avoid 'over thinking' Sam's comments and keep her mind off the real reason this assignment was freaking her out. As she laughed and mocked the exhibitionists who got off on having sex in the Renaissance Hotel's rooms with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the Blue Jays baseball stadium, she was oblivious to how she looked peeling off her over-the-top hooker boots. Sam couldn't take his eyes off those long, tanned legs as Andy sat on the bed in her micro mini skirt stretching her them and flexing her sore feet. Between that and hearing her talk about the kinky acts this room was occasionally used for by the adventurous, Sam was having more doubts than ever about being able to handle this one.

The mayor was rattled by the recent murders of exhibitionist couples staying in this upscale hotel in the heart of the tourist district, even if it was a bit notorious for the occasional risqué activity taking place in its unique rooms. He had pushed to TOPD to catch this guy immediately before the press realized the murders were believed to be connected and sensationalized them.

Investigators had zeroed in on a former concierge who had been in a nasty custody dispute before his ex apparently jumped into the exhibitionist act with a new guy to piss him off, succeeded too well, and wound up dead. Unfortunately, the detectives didn't have enough evidence to charge him or prove that he struck twice more in the hotel itself. They believed the perp picked his other victims by monitoring the entrance on the nights of home games, then watching stadium-side to see which had a thing for having their fun in front of those scandalous windows, and hacking into the hotel's system through a WiFi security flaw to track when they left their rooms later. After years of experience helping celebrities dodge the paparazzi, he knew what he was doing to avoid being seen or recorded by security cameras.

So they'd put together this rather desperate sting attempt, hoping to bait him and trap him into coming after them in the parking lot tonight like he'd done to two previous couples. Sam had thought that after their undercover stint as a low life criminal couple he'd be able to manage this too. The force didn't have any other couple skilled enough to pull this off on short notice, so Sam and Andy were who the brass pushed for after their success on Division 15's biggest drug bust. They'd both reluctantly agreed, unable to admit why it would be so much more difficult, beyond the obvious fact that trying to provoke a serial killer into going after them was even more dangerous.

But now he wasn't so sure he could fully keep his head in the game during this more intimate bit of role playing with McNally. Especially with her back in that skimpy damn outfit! It was hard enough the first time she'd donned that getup, and that was with the rest of the team around-especially Oliver who watched him like a hawk whenever McNally was anywhere nearby. Sam turned abruptly away and headed off to take a cold shower and get himself prepared for going just far enough with Andy to bait the killer into coming after them later in the underground garage.

When he walked out with a towel slung around his hips, McNally was over by the window trying to practice letting herself be seen to be sure Noelle was monitoring the right room. Sam had insisted that none of the male officers or detectives who were positioned outside the hotel be given the room number or any binoculars to gawk at Andy. Noelle was the only one he trusted to keep a visual on them with the right balance of diligence and discretion.

Andy had just hung up when she turned and spotted Sam. A second ago she was strung tight as a drum, petrified about having to put on act for a psychopath somewhere within the sea of strangers on the other side of those huge windows. But one glance at Sam nearly naked with his hair wet from a shower-he took a shower?-and thoughts about anyone else flew out of her head. My God, he was hot! She swallowed thickly. Suddenly she was more worried about herself for an entirely different reason.

The second McNally looked at him, every last benefit of that cold shower evaporated. The sexual tension they always tried to keep firmly buried bubbled up between them. The way she was staring at him was wreaking havoc on his judgment. He knew he should crack a corny joke or say something to piss her off to break the mood. But he felt an irresistible urge to keep that look in McNally's eyes a little longer and remind her, just a bit, of what she'd thrown away all those months ago. So instead he sauntered over to where she stood frozen in place near the windows.

"So you don't see how any normal person could get sucked into the exhibitionist thing?" He raised a challenging eyebrow and gently turned her to look out at the field with its brilliant glaring lights. "You don't think it could start innocently enough with a normal couple admiring the uniqueness of the view?" he gestured out the window.

He put his arms loosely around her waist and continued speaking softly into her ear. In _that_ voice, the one that always did her in. It was the one he'd used when he said her name 'McNally' that night after they'd first been paired together. The one that had damn near caused her to jump into bed with him on just her second day on the job. Oh God, she knew now she wouldn't have the strength to resist _that_ Sam a second time. _What was he doing? _Her senses were already completely aflame from that seductive voice, the feeling of his nearly naked, freshly showered body so close behind her, the tickle of his damp hair as he spoke into her ear…and the way just the tips of his fingers made occasional contact with bare skin as he ever so slowly stroked her stomach.

Sam continued to make suggestions in that hypnotic voice, "Maybe the guy just absently starts touching his girl, not really meaning anything by it. Not really intending to be one of those who put on a show, at least not at first. But a brush of bare skin, a catch of her breath, and suddenly he has to know-is she embarrassed? Or excited? Maybe he decides to slowly test the waters, just a little bit, to find out."

Sam's fingers brushed ever so slightly beneath the waistband of her tiny skirt and her equally tiny halter top rode up higher to give his palm more access to her midriff. Andy's breath caught as her muscles clenched reflexively. "A normal woman would make him stop before it went too far in front of these damn windows," she finally protested in a weak, shaky voice that didn't sound like her own.

"Is that so?" he murmured. "What if he did something shocking, moved quickly? Are you so sure she'd object? Or can some things be impossible to walk away from?" he murmured.

Sam was lost in the fantasies that had chased his mind like demons ever since the night of the blackout. He wasn't even really aware that he was actually doing this, playing with fire like this with the real Andy during a real operation. But suddenly he was seized by an overwhelming urge to erase his retreat that night and instead push things a little, to force her to admit she had wanted him for more than a comforting shoulder to cry on.

"McNally…" Before his brain could talk him out of disaster, Sam did the unthinkable. He suddenly dipped his hand much lower, touching Andy where he had no right, not even sure what he was trying to provoke her into doing.

Suddenly, everything changed. Andy let out a strangled cry that seemed to be wrenched straight from her soul. Sam felt the undeniable truth about just how turned on Andy already was. He was jolted to his core. This was no longer a playful test of wills. He'd been playing with fire and now both of them were igniting beyond control. He told himself he had expected her to elbow him in the ribs and tear away from him. But instead she arched her back as if she'd just been hit with a lightning bolt. She shuddered, clutched his forearm to her with her right arm and pulled the nape of his neck closer with the other. Sam was stunned by her reaction, the way he could feel her whole body flex and tremble. He tripped forward clutching reflexively at her little halter with his other hand.

Before he knew what happened, the tiny garment came undone and was bunched in his hand. Andy was exposed in all her topless glory as they stumbled up against the huge windows. She splayed her palms against the glass for balance. The height on the 15th floor and the feelings flooding through her at Sam's touch made her unbelievably dizzy. The shock of the cold glass against her breasts made her gasp. Her body clenched as the beginnings of what she knew was going to be the biggest orgasm of her life rippled through her. She tried to fight against it, but Sam could feel it too.

Sam had gone instantly from shock at what he'd done to a haze of lust. His right hand continued doing unspeakable things while the sexy whispers became hoarse, urgent commands. "Let go for once McNally. Be honest and admit how you really feel. Tell me you want this. Tell me we belong together."

After the first jolt of shock, ripped through her Andy lost all control. The strain of tightly controlling her feelings for so long was finally too much. She mentally hurled all the rules and 'should nots' she'd been carrying around in the trash. Andy never thought she was the type, but the thrill of breaking so many taboos washed over her in a rush like nothing she'd ever known. But she also desperately wanted to drive Sam over the edge with her. She moaned and rubbed her breasts against the cold windows and ground her hips back against him, wordlessly answering.

"Say it," Sam demanded. "What do you want, Andy?"

"Alright, dammit! I want you! Only you!" the admission was torn from her. "Right here, right now. I don't want to stop this time! Is that what you want to hear?" she ground out. Then she pleaded. "Don't let me go over the edge alone. I need you. _Please_, Sam, please!"

The pleading killed his ability to pull them back from the brink. Beyond all control, Sam complied with an urgency that matched hers. All the months of suppressed feeling exploded freely. He clutched at her hips as she still braced herself against the windows. Both were frenzied in their movements and quickly climaxed…just as a player hit a home run and a loud cheer arose from the crowd. That meant thousands of eyes focused in their direction. Families, not just the perverts who came to the games in hopes of a peep show.

_Oh shit!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Weathering the Storm**

Even if most would never exactly see them, the sound abruptly brought them crashing back to the reality of where they were and the mission they were supposed to be doing. The wild impulse to discard all scruples evaporated and Sam moved quickly to cover Andy's chest as best he could with one arm. She collapsed back against him nearly losing consciousness with shock as awareness of her surroundings flooded back into her drugged mind. Sam hauled them both away from the window and dove to the floor, cursing himself viciously.

What had he done? He had pushed her beyond all boundaries of her inhibitions. Hell, he'd blown the doors off his own code. Noelle most likely saw the whole thing, and God knows what she made of what had happened. How many times had members of the small team planning this pulled him aside to lecture him in no uncertain terms that actual sex could not happen, and asked him whether he could really handle this? The killer most likely got an eyeful that would send him into a rage-probably more than what they'd intended to provoke. _Christ! _Sam was very good at his job, but this time he'd fucked up royally. If this ever got out, the scandal would follow them both for the rest of their lives. The whole department would be dragged through the mud. All it would take was one voyeur who had been lucky enough to point a good telephoto lens in the right place to put something up on the internet, and they were done. _Fuck!_

Andy was shaking uncontrollably in his arms muttering incoherent sounds, and not in a good way. She was practically going into shock. He had to take care of her first and worry about the other consequences later. He pulled her closer and tried to comfort her. Finally, he scooped her up and tucked her gently under the covers of the bed, and stalked over to pull the damn curtains. The show was over for this screwed up op.

Andy called out for him in a panicky voice. He walked over to the bed terrified of how she'd react. Her eyes were wild, she looked like a trapped animal, just like the night she'd had to shoot the pedophile in that dark basement. Oh God, was she afraid of him now? He ran his fingers through his hair, wanting to pull it out. He knew it wasn't the same, but images of Sarah flashed through his mind. He felt like a complete heel.

Andy could see the stricken look on Sam's face. Even though she felt like she was drowning from the shock and shame of her own loss of control, she knew she couldn't let him take on all the blame for this. She reached a trembling hand out to him and lifted the covers for him to join her.

Relief washed over him and nearly took his legs out from under him. Sam crawled in next to her and held her gently, stroking her hair and murmuring over and over how sorry he was while she clung to him, buried her head in his chest and sobbed uncontrollably. "I should never have crossed the line like that. Not ever, and certainly not on the job."

"Sam, don't do that to yourself. Don't act like that was _anything_ like what happened to Sarah," she finally managed as she dared a quick glance before looking down again. "It's just, I…I NEVER thought I was capable of anything like that. It's just overwhelming and terrifying to know that boundaries I thought were a bedrock part of me could just evaporate the first time you touched me." She looked up and held his gaze this time, "I've been such an idiot. I was in total denial about how deep and raw the feelings ran for both of us. I thought it was something we could and should get over. I half knew I was kidding myself. I think that's why I kept finding excuses to put off actually packing up to move in with Luke. But I didn't realize how much you were doing the same."

"Andy, how could you not have known how crazy I am about you?" he rolled his eyes. "When Hurricane Andy blew through that crack house door, you turned my world completely upside down and nothing has been the same ever since." he added with that wistful lop sided grin that always made her heart stop a beat. He stared at her for what seemed like an eternity before adding, "I'm glad you didn't go through with moving into the Dream House with your Ken doll. You're so beautiful, I could never seem to keep my eyes off you no matter how hard I tried. I think the entire division probably knows I'm hopelessly hung up on you even if most of them aren't brave enough to say anything."

"Really? Then why did you put the moves on me too fast and then keep pushing me back to Luke later?" she asked, eying him curiously.

He groaned. "Because I didn't know what the hell I was doing. You threw me a little off balance, McNally. I sure as hell wasn't prepared to be responsible for teaching the ropes to someone as sexy as you. And stepping aside for Callaghan wasn't easy, believe me. But I thought I had to give you space to decide for yourself whether the thing you had going with him was what you wanted. I wasn't sure whether or not the blackout night was just a confused cry for help when you hit bottom. I didn't think you could go back and sleep with him for so long if it had really meant something to you."

He propped himself up on one elbow, "How could you do that, by the way? I know for a fact that you never had sex like that with him," he shot her a pointed look.

"How can you be so sure?" she protested, but he shushed her.

"I'm sure. And don't get defensive Andy. Sometimes what you think will be a good thing just doesn't really spark and turns out a bit lukewarm." Sam shrugged. "Happens all the time."

"Lukewarm, ha ha. What, is that from your puns 101 joke book?" Andy rolled her eyes.

He grinned, "No pun intended, but if the shoe fits…I just meant some things you can tell have never happened before, that's all." He brushed his nose against hers, and gave her a gentle kiss. "You think I would've gone to live like a monk undercover for 8 months if things were like that with Monica? I've never seem a woman's whole body react quite as intensely Andy. That was a first for me too." She blushed to her roots.

"Oh my God!" she sat bolt upright her spine ramrod straight, clutching the covers to her. She looked at Sam with a stricken face. "Noelle must have seen everything! What will she do?"

Sam looked at her and tried to infuse his voice with as much reassurance as possible. "It will be OK. She'll probably call any minute now to make sure you're OK, and that what she saw wasn't me ravishing you. We're probably going to have to answer some pretty damn awkward questions, but if we do, I think she'll agree to cover for us. She'll probably have some choice advice, especially for me, about getting our act together. But as long as this op doesn't completely blow up, I don't think she'll want to embarrass you by letting anyone else know full details about what really happened. Noelle's good people under that gruff exterior."

She swallowed hard, a lump forming at the mere thought of having to talk about the most earth shattering but also humiliating and shocking thing she'd ever done in her life. _With Noelle_. How was she going to be able to do it? She glanced over at Sam and knew she had to do it for him. She could tell the guilt over his behavior weighed heavily. She couldn't let him take a fall for what they both did. If she didn't take partial ownership to Noelle, Andy knew the ethical senior officer would report Sam, whether they were friends or not. If the story went up the chain and there was any suspicion whatsoever Sam had taken advantage of the situation, she knew Luke would see to it that he was punished to the hilt. This kind of coloring outside the line would mean much more than a the token slap on the wrist Sam usually managed.

She reached over to smooth the lines from his forehead. "Sam, don't put this all on yourself. I was as much to blame. We were both just in way over our heads trying to do this kinky assignment together with everything that's been between us. I mean, it was asking a lot. God, the excruciating prep sessions, with endless discussions about how to be provocative, without being lawsuit bait. Did they really think we could walk that line?"

He looked at her with such concern and tenderness, it broke her heart. "It was hard on me too. I'm sorry I didn't protect you from it better, and I'm sorry I played with a live wire tonight. Are we OK?" he asked in husky voice. "Will you be OK about what happened?"

She grimaced. "Eventually. But I want us to start a clean slate. You're not my TO anymore, so no more pretending, no more complications. It's going to take me a while to figure out what to think about the fact that, you know, I got so turned on by…that." She gestured to the window, and looked over at him shyly. "That's uh, not really me. But I'll be OK. _We_ will be OK. I just want next time to be nice and simple and slow and romantic. No interruptions, nothing too kinky. Just you and me making love with nothing and no one else to worry about."

His eyes darkened. He leaned in close and asked in that husky Sam voice, "Can we make 'next time' soon?"

She caught her breath, but forced herself to say lightly, "I wish it could be right now because I could use the reassurance that I'm not a complete deviant. But we need to focus on salvaging this op."

He stared deeply into her eyes and said firmly, "Andy, listen to me. There is _nothing _deviant about you. A lot of people have fantasies about that sort of thing, and under the right circumstances, perfectly normal people can act on them. But don't worry. That's not really my thing either, and believe me, I don't want a repeat of you being exposed like that to anyone else's eyes ever again. But please, don't ever be self-conscious about losing control." He winked at her, "That part I intend to make happen on a regular basis if you'll let me." And just like that, the dazzling, McNally smile lit up her face, and he knew he'd said the right thing, that she'd be fine. This wouldn't be yet another trauma she carried around in that gorgeous head.

"Besides," he said giving her a mischievous glance. "how many other couples, even here, ever had a stadium crowd roar like that right when they came?" His lips twitched.

"Sam!" she squealed and slapped his arm. The she giggled, "That really happened, didn't it? I mean, what are the odds? Seriously?"

"What can I say, McNally?" he said leaning back and stretching his arms high before clasping them behind his head. "Clearly we're a one in a million couple. And I must have done something right in my sorry life because God just granted me the fantasy of pretty much every teen aged boy on the planet," he grinned.

"Would you shut up!" she gasped, swatting him with a pillow. Then the giggles took over and were completely infectious. She collapsed on him and both of them dissolved into fits of laughter until they were gasping for breath. Andy wiped tears from her eyes and clutched at her side. "Oh God, I don't think I've ever laughed this hard in my life!" she finally gasped.

He hugged her tight still grinning broadly, "God I love you. It's too bad this isn't exactly the kind of first date story you can tell anyone."

Her head snapped up, eyes wide. He stared at her and grew serious. He grabbed her hand. "I know this isn't a date, but I do love you, you know. More than you can imagine. That's why I waited. It nearly killed me, but you were worth it." He kissed her hand and stared at her in that way that always left her breathless.

"I love you too, Sam. I'm sorry, I'm SO sorry it took me so long to admit it to myself."

He pulled her closer and gave her a long gentle kiss expressing more than words could that all was forgiven. Then he got up to bring her a robe and gently tucked around the disheveled remnants of her clothes. "You'll have plenty of time to make up for it. For now, go and take a quick shower. I'll call Noelle and start making plans for how we're going to deal with this. She can ream me out for a while and get it out of her system a little before you have to talk to her. Are you sure you're OK to go forward with the bait op in the garage?"

"Yeah. I'm good now. I want to salvage this and get that guy." She looked Sam in the eye to convince him she meant it, that they shouldn't cancel. "The only thing that could make having to face the music worse is having to live with the thought of a serial killer having seen us and running around loose. Sam, we have to at least try to get him tonight. It's still our best shot at him. There's dozens of cops clocking overtime waiting to back us up. There's no way I'm going to just call it off."

He scanned her face for a long time, debating whether he she meant it or was just putting on a brave face. "OK," he said finally. "Go on then," he nodded toward the bathroom. "We'll have to be ready soon."


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks for the nice comments. Maybe I'm not a completely hopeless pervert! Those first two chapters were based on one of the few sex dreams I've actually had, which was totally due to twitter chatter in the weeks between 'Hot and Bothered' and 'Big Nickel' by a bunch of rabid Rookie Blue fans throwing out all kinds of crazy scenarios for McSwarek finally getting together. I figured at this point, it would take something major triggering some big time impulsiveness to get this couple to wake up and do it already. ;)_

_This chapter is all about having to face Noelle and Traci. This is where the major profanity comes in because Williams is definitely not happy about such shenanigans on her watch._

_Two more shorter chapters to follow after this one. I'll post them as a pair soon. Again, I have no rights to Rookie Blue._

**Chapter 3: Facing the Music**

"Sam, what the _FUCK_ was that about? Are you completely out of your mind?" Noelle screamed.

"Hello to you too, Noelle," Sam winced and held the phone away from his ear, bracing for the ass kicking he deserved.

"Shut up and listen, Swarek. You _know_ that was completely out of bounds! Jesus Christ, we all knew you had a bit of a thing for McNally, but I _never_ thought you'd lose it like that. I know that was the real thing Sam. No way is McNally that good an actress. I've never seen anything like that. Is Andy OK? Part of my job was to make sure she wasn't out of her depth. If you two hadn't pulled that porn show stunt so quickly, I would've called this op off already. You had two simple clear boundaries that you were not to cross under any circumstances, Sam. One, no flashing naked McNally T&A or your junk in the direction of the citizens of Toronto. Two, NO ACTUAL FUCKING! Way to go, slick, you managed to step way over the fucking line on both counts!" Not surprisingly, Noelle sounded more pissed and rattled than Sam had ever heard her.

Noelle took a breath and continued a calmer, no nonsense voice, "Listen Sam, I need to be sure the two of you are in the right state of mind to complete this. Nash and I are on our way up undercover as room service. Open the fucking door the second you hear us. For now, she's the only one that knows what went down. Against my better judgment, I only told Frank that I was concerned enough about the two of you that I need a face to face check before I sign off on continuing. I refused to give details, so my ass in on the line now too. If I don't like what I see when I get up there, I'm calling this off and I'm going to think long and hard about whether to continue keeping full details of this screw up from Frank. You understand me?"

"Yup. We'll be ready for you. But Noelle, if you are considering letting us try to salvage this, which you should, try to hold your fire for later and go easy on McNally for now OK? I know this has to be your call now and I don't have any right to ask, but I'm asking you anyway." Sam hung up and let out a sigh of relief. He'd expected her to hand him his ass, but at least he was right and Noelle had come through and covered for them so far. That meant they still had a chance of coming through this OK. He knew he'd chosen the right person to ride point between them and Frank's coordination with the SWAT team waiting in the shadows to assist in the take down if needed.

Andy emerged from the bathroom freshly showered and with her getup restored to at least hooker-style respectability. I guess they caught one small break, and he hadn't torn that ridiculous top beyond functionality, he thought wryly.

She smiled reassuringly at Sam as she opened to door to Noelle's impatient knocking. Then she came to sit by him, lacing her fingers through his, and tilting her jaw at a brave angle as she turned to face her two colleagues. She was determined not to look too freaked out, and to seem friendly but not too clingy with Sam. She didn't want this to be a career-ender for him if she could help it. Sam gave her hand a squeeze, and an admiring nod. McNally was holding up like a champ so far. He just hoped having to actually talk about it and look Noelle and Tracy in the eye wouldn't destroy the equilibrium she'd regained.

"All right you two. I'll have plenty more to say about this later, but right now I just need to know a few basics about what's up with the two of you. Now that it happened, the best thing we can do to minimize the fallout is get the guy. But this is a really dangerous trap we're setting, and I'm not about to risk it if the two of you haven't gotten your heads cleared enough to keep the focus you need to stay alive." Noelle gave them both a hard look.

"Andy, would you feel more comfortable talking to Nash first while I talk to Sam?" Noelle asked with a hint of concern entering her voice.

"Umm, yeah. Thanks," Andy said gratefully, and the two retreated into the bathroom.

_**The Rookie Conversation**_

"Oh my God, _Andy!_ You are so giving me details later, but for right now, just tell me-and really think about this-are you _sure_ you're not too shaken up to go dangle yourself with Sam as sinner bait for this serial killer?" Traci looked at her dubiously.

"Yeah, Trace. I mean, I'm nervous, of course. But nothing would make this worse than having to call the whole thing off now. It's going to be bad enough as it is to have to explain everything to you, let alone Noelle. God forbid it goes further than that. But I swear I'm not just doing this to avoid further humiliation. It will really kill me to have to wonder whether this lunatic saw everything and is still wandering free without enough evidence to lock him up for good. I can't live with that," she shuddered.

"And you and Swarek? You can handle finishing this with him? And you trust that he's in the right frame of mind to keep you safe down there? It's not gonna be Bibby all over again, is it?" Traci asked raising a concerned eyebrow.

Andy smiled at her friend, "No, you don't have to worry about anything like that. Actually, things are great. We finally admitted what we've been dancing around for months. Trace, this might sound crazy, but he's the one for me. I know that for sure, and I'm not going to try to deny it anymore. I wish we could have found a less dramatic way to be honest with each other, obviously," she rolled her eyes. "But part of me is actually glad something broke the impasse, and that I didn't manage to throw away a chance to really love someone just because dating Luke seemed like the smart move. Does that make sense? Or am I a complete head case?" she looked at her friend nervously, feeling like she must now have a scarlet letter stamped all over her.

"You really are head over heels, aren't you? I mean, when you took Swarek off ice, you really didn't play around," Traci smiled kindly to take the sting out of the jibe. "Hey, if you're sure, I'm glad for you, and I'm sure this is something that you two will manage to get through." Traci hugged her tightly. "It's gonna be OK. Noelle is pissed, but she'll do whatever she can to manage the fallout. She's doing the best she can to hold her temper and make the right call to weigh risk of scandal and risk to the two of you vs. blowing our best chance to catch an accelerating serial killer. She's a pretty amazing cop. Sam knew what he was doing when he picked her for this role."

_**The TO Conversation**_

"Look, Sam, what you did was seriously wrong. But however it started, I know it would take something pretty overwhelming to make someone as serious as you are about UC work lose control. Despite your reputation, I know you're not usually as reckless as some people think. But if this does get out, there's no way that you'll be able to argue it was any kind of professional judgment call to go off script. We booked every other room facing the field and carefully filled just the right number, all of them with squeaky clean cop families. You were the only game in town for our guy to focus on. There was no reason you'll be able to give for going so much further than what we agreed to in advance. You owe me a full explanation later of what's been going on with you two and what caused you to make such a big personal lapse. But right now I'm concerned about two things," she paused for a breath and eyed him closely.

"I can see you're beating yourself up more than I ever could. Are you good to do this without guilt and worry about McNally compromising your focus? You know this is probably the most dangerous assignment this Division has ever asked anyone to do, right? Just because we've got a big team of SWAT backing you up doesn't mean a lot can't go wrong. They have to hang back enough not to spook him for this to work. Just because he's used a knife before doesn't mean he won't be carrying this time. McNally can't keep a gun anywhere she can pull it quickly or wear any protective gear in that little outfit, so a lot is on you. So…are you still SURE about this?"

Sam met Noelle's probing stare steadily for a long time until he saw her doubts start to fade before answering, "Noelle, no one knows better than me how badly I screwed up. But one thing I can do better than just about anyone is bury my feelings when I really need to. Nothing will be on my mind besides making sure this guy takes the bait but doesn't get a drop on me or get too close to McNally."

"What about her?" she jerked her head toward the bathroom where Andy and Traci had closeted themselves. "She's only had one successful undercover gig before this, and that had to be one hell of a shocking experience for her just now. Is she going to be alright, or is she just hanging on by a thread right now? She's not pushing herself too hard just to impress you or protect you?"

Sam let out a long sigh. "Honestly? I'm not 100% sure about that one. She's determined to see this through, but I'm not sure those motives aren't part of it. I could actually use another opinion from you and Nash about that. She's gone through a lot of emotions with a ton of guts. I've seen her think on her feet undercover before, and I don't think she'll panic once we're in the thick of things. But if she does, I'm not going to lie, she'll be my priority. You comfortable with that?"

"That I can live with. You know I've always thought guys like Boyd are too cavalier about officer safety. If things really go sideways and he gets violent, SWAT won't let him walk out alive anyway. But I'd like to see what Nash says and talk to Andy a bit myself. I need to know the chance of her melting down is low enough. You know the parking garage might also give her flashbacks of the Rec Centre basement, right?"

"Yes, and I wish she wasn't being asked to face another potentially traumatic confrontation again within a year. But she's tougher than she realizes. I think she's come to terms with facing down men who are that broken without hesitation when it's necessary. I won't feel like I have to hold her hand to the exclusion of keeping my eye peeled for what the suspect is doing, if that's what you mean. I'm pretty confident McNally can handle herself. She's more fearless than I'd like most of the time. I told you she had those dealers eating out of her hand last time she had to go toe to toe with serious criminals."

"All right then, Lover Boy. Let's get McNally out here, plan what we're going to say, and go get this guy," Noelle slapped Sam on the back just as the two women emerged from their talk.


	4. Chapter 4

_Change of plan: I'm going to submit the last two chapters one at a time. I ended up completely rewriting this one. Originally, it was a very limited bridge chapter that mainly just narrated an after-the-fact summary of whether the trap succeeded. But even though the case is sort of a convenient side issue, I decided that was a total cop out and that I should take a stab at writing the action as it unfolds. I'll post the next chapter in a day or two. Enjoy. Again, I have no rights to Rookie Blue._

**Chapter 4: Springing the Trap**

"OK, it's decided then. We do the take down scenario as previously planned. If it goes smoothly, and everyone walks away in one piece, we get you out of there as soon as possible just in case any press got wind something is going down. Later on, if need be, Sam and I will also convince Frank to make sure the brass don't plan any dog and pony show for the media turning you two into heroes. We can argue you're too good at undercover work to raise your profiles. Your pretty faces would only make reporters more curious about exactly how we baited the trap, and the brass won't want that. I'm sure the Pecks will be more than happy to mug for the cameras with Best and the Mayor if he's intent on milking this for tough-on-crime cred.

If I'm still convinced that I should cover your asses and a video turns up later, I'll come up with some reason for not having reported this. I'll say that all I saw was Sam in the towel before I had my attention diverted by something. Getting on Dov's case for yammering about my manning the 'Perv Post' or something. It's half true anyway. Little tech nerd programmed some algorithm into his smart phone to predict which room you were in, and he called, _twice_, bugging me to tell him whether it worked. Can you believe that shit?" she rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, no one breathes a word of what really happened to anyone beyond this room. No confessions to Shaw from you Sam, and no pillow talk to Jerry out of you, Nash. McNally, you stick with Nash for whatever confiding you need to do. Everyone stays out of the loop on this permanently, especially the other three rookies. Understood?" Noelle eyed them each to get their nods of agreement.

"Right." Noelle snapped her phone shut. "Frank says they're all set and the parking garage has cleared enough for us to move when we're ready. They've been managing traffic so that there are no civilian vehicles left on the target level. All the remaining cars are owned by the undercover cops we've got crawling around the place mingling with guests.

Remember, we used the rookies who had less chance of having taken a call here and being made as cops to insert into staff positions. We've got Peck stationed in the lobby as a greeter, Epstein is in with the parking valets, and Diaz is down in the basement level with the car detailing crew. Between them and all the guys mingling as partying fans, there should be no chance that we lose a visual on the suspect.

Right now Peck said he's mingling in with the crowd in the lounge off the lobby watching the post-game interviews on a big screen TV. She says he's been checking some kind of hand held device, so looks like we were right about the WiFi hack. He'll probably be on the move as soon as he sees the system flag that you've checked out and left the room," Noelle summed up.

"Sam, you got your wire set?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's good to go," Sam confirmed.

"Good. I asked Epstein to move our cars up to the roof level when Nash and I were on our way up here so we can duck away quickly when it's over. So, head straight for the elevators as soon as Frank says we're done. And don't even give me shit about letting him touch your precious truck, Swarek," Noelle warned.

Sam held up his hands in surrender, "Hey, I didn't say anything."

"The trap is set on the lowest basement level. Sam and Andy will approach the Porsche they arrived in and left on that level. It's OK if you wander around for a while pretending not to remember the exact spot you left it, but you do remember where it is right?"

At their nods, she said. "OK. Review one more time the profile worked up from interviews with co-workers and in-laws and how you plan to use it to push his buttons."

"The suspect seems to have broken after two major grievances pushed him over the edge. Coworkers say he's always been uncomfortable about being pushed by management to accommodate guest requests to procure props for their X-rated fun and games. Apparently, after he found out his wife was cheating on him with the married soccer coach from one of his kids' teams, he lost it in response to a particularly demanding, twisted guest and got fired. Came home and took it out on his wife, and she kicked him out and filed for a restraining order and a divorce.

Courts granted him only extremely limited supervised visitation rights to the kids because of the recent violent incident. The wife's sister says he made some ill-advised comments when he lost the court battle, so her sister decided to get back at him. She had one of the exhibitionist adventures with the soccer coach that she knew her ex hated so much in the very hotel that fired him. Apparently, she even rubbed it in his face that he still couldn't prove it or get the courts to grant him a better custody deal.

He loses it and kills her, but manages to leave no physical evidence and has an alibi we that so far we can't disprove. Within a week, a couple that the new concierge said made some requests for sex toys ends up dead in the parking garage. Next home game, a second similar couple goes down. That's when we started connecting the three incidents and discovered the data breaches.

So, this guy feels wronged in both his professional and personal life. He thinks he's gotten a raw deal from people he feels have made moral transgressions with impunity. Neither hotel management nor the courts validated his grievances against those he feels wronged him. After he killed his wife, he began venting his rage on the types of kinky adventurers who made him compromise his morals for years before he finally couldn't take it any more. The types that caused him to lose his job." Sam summarized.

"So, we go with Callaghan's theory that everyone wants to be heard. This guy hasn't sent any message to police, the courts, or the press. So we're counting on being able to provoke him into unloading some of the bottled up bile onto his intended victims. That's our main objective," he reminded Andy.

"We play it like we think it's a robbery attempt at first, because that's what anyone would assume. Then we'll do something like a good cop/bad cop thing. McNally, you try to placate him. You're great at getting people to open up. Ask him to tell us why he's so angry and act like you get where he's coming from. If he needs more prodding, I'll challenge him to push his buttons and see if playing up his anger works better. But I'll only do that if he's not admitting enough about what he's done already. OK?" Sam waited for Andy's nod.

"Good. Let's roll then. Serve, Protect, and Nail this bastard." Noelle urged.

* * *

Andy looked up at the ceiling and shook her hands nervously as the doors closed and the elevator began whisking them down to the lobby.

"Come here," Sam said.

"Sam! What are you doing?" Andy protested.

"You don't need to rehearse what you're going to say. You're ready. So this time before we head into the lion's den, I'm going to kiss you the way I really wanted to before I took off with Angel and left you with that twitchy kid," Sam declared, pulling her into his arms and following his words with decisive action.

He finally pulled back, and with his hands cradling her face said firmly, "Stay close down there, but don't object when I keep myself between you and this guy once he confronts us. The way you're dressed makes you vulnerable, and I need be able to focus on him without worrying that you'll get hurt when I try to disarm him. Promise me you'll keep your distance."

"I promise, Sam. But you promise me you won't take risks you don't need to either," Andy insisted. "I already went through thinking you were dead once."

"You got it. You don't think I'd risk missing 'next time' do you?" he winked.

"You're such a guy, but whatever motivation you need is fine with me" she laughed.

They exited the elevator and wandered over to Peck to get an update.

"What's his 20?" Sam asked, his arm possessively around Andy's waist.

Gail raised an eyebrow and smirked at their couple 'act' before answering, "He headed down the stairwell a couple minutes ago. Looks like he hacked in to get your license plate to figure out where you're parked because one of the UCs spotted him in the stairwell heading for the lowest level. Chris will probably spot him entering the basement any time now."

"OK, radio the team that we're heading down the parking elevator now," Sam instructed.

"Hey," Gail stopped them. "Good luck down there. I know what it's like to watch a partner get stabbed." she said sincerely.

"Don't worry, we know he'll be coming for us. We got this Peck," Sam said confidently, more for Andy's sake than Gail's.

As they emerged from the elevator into the garage, Sam was whispering things in Andy's ear that genuinely made her giggle. Dov was there and managed to let them know which side of the garage Chris had spotted the suspect before saying loudly, "You have a good night, Sir. M'am."

"Here we go," Sam said softly, giving Andy a reassuring squeeze as he guided her in that direction.

As the neared the far corner of what appeared to be a deserted section of the garage, the suspect rose quickly from behind a car.

"Hold up, asshole," he ordered brandishing an ugly looking switchblade.

"Hey, take it easy. We don't want any trouble," Sam said in a soothing tone. "If you're after cash, you can have it, " he added.

"I'm not after your money, you rich douchebag," he spat.

"OK, calm down. What is it you want then?" Sam replied.

"I want to teach you a lesson. Show you that you can't mock community decency without consequences just to inject a thrill into your jaded pathetic lives. I saw what the two of you did in plain sight of families out to enjoy an innocent baseball game. It's not enough for people to satisfy their pornographic tastes at home anymore. Scumbags like you have to interject it into sporting events as well without a second thought about who you might be hurting." he sneered. "Someone has to stand up and say 'Enough!' The management of this so-called classy hotel and the spineless leaders of this city tolerate anything if it means more tourist money. So it's down to someone like me to make it stop, to make people like you pay a price."

"Look, we're sorry, OK?" Andy said. "I'm sure you must have good reason to take it so personally," she added.

"You seem to have such an honest face, I almost believe you mean that, sweetheart. But I learned the hard way to never trust anything a woman says." he said bitterly.

He shifted his attention back to Sam, "She's quite a piece of ass, though. I'll give you that. I can see why you rented her. But being able to afford a $1,000 a night hooker that looks like anyone's dream girl wasn't enough for you, was it? You twisted greedy bastard." the killer snarled.

Sam stepped closer and shoved Andy behind him. "For your information, she happens to be my wife. And who the hell are you to judge us? Some people make an effort to keep the passion in their marriage. Let me guess. An uptight prig like you put your wife's feet to sleep and she dumped you. Am I right?" Sam taunted.

"It wasn't my fault that shameless bitch jumped into bed with another married man! I made sure she'll never bring shame to our family again or threaten to move our kids to Florida." he said with smug satisfaction.

"Oh yeah, made sure how?" Sam asked skeptically.

"I slashed her throat and made it look like a robbery. Just like I'm going to do to the two of you." he boasted. "The world won't miss an arrogant, entitled prick like you or the wife so eager please you."

"And you really think you can get away with that?" Sam asked incredulously.

The killer smirked, "I've already done it twice. The idiot cops did what the big shots wanted and called them muggings gone wrong. This time I'll make sure they can't deny it's about what they let go on in their rooms. Your wife won't look so pretty when I'm done carving a message on her," he said with a demented glitter in his eyes.

"You impotent loser, do you really think your pathetic vigilante complex will change anything?" Sam goaded.

That finally provoked the killer into making an awkward lunge at him. Sam kicked away the knife and quickly took him down. Dov emerged from the shadows to guard the knife where it had skittered, and the waiting SWAT team moved in and took over from Sam to restrain the killer.

Andy let out the breath she'd been holding and flew into Sam's arms to hug him tightly.

"It's over. We did it, partner. We got him. I've got everything I want now," he said returning the tight embrace.

"Diaz," Sam finally called, breaking the embrace. "Here's the wire and recording. Put it in a sealed evidence bag right now in front of all these witnesses. You're in charge of making sure the chain of evidence procedures on this are handled strictly by the book. Don't pull a Jerry and screw up the numbers on any of the paperwork either. I'm trusting you to do this right." Sam said with a slap on the shoulder.

"Thank you, sir! I won't let you down!" Chris said, beaming.

The team wanted to give them a hero's celebration at the Penny, but they begged off. Noelle also managed to talk Frank into sending them home before completing more than brief initial statements. He agreed that with the confession recorded and duplicate witnesses, they could wait for the full debrief until morning. So the three of them hustled away from the crowd, ducking into the elevator to the top parking level.


	5. Chapter 5

_Changed my mind and decided to go ahead and upload this today as well. It hopefully finally delivers on the humor tag. Once again, I have no rights to Rookie Blue._

**Chapter 5: Keeping It in the Vault**

"Noelle, you were a rock tonight. You really earned your leadership bones. You have great instincts reading people, and you focus on the right things to make big decisions under pressure. I wouldn't have had the confidence to do this without knowing you backed us and thought we could handle it."

"I have to admit you pulled yourselves together and did a hell of a job confronting that guy. But Sammy?" Noelle waited to make sure she had his full attention as they emerged from the elevator onto the roof.

"Yes?" he turned to face her.

"You're still doing my paperwork for six months, and don't even think about dumping it on the next batch of rookies," Noelle warned.

"That's not why I said it, Noelle. I meant every word, and a deal's a deal." He protested emphatically. "But if you do ever feel like commuting my sentence…" he grinned.

"Oh no, un-uh, don't even start trying to work me with the dimples, Swarek. I mean, you do know I can't call you Dimples any more anyway, right?" She added deadpan.

"What? Why, because you're still mad at me?" he asked with mock innocence.

"Hell yes, I'm still mad at your sorry ass! But that's not why."

"Well?" he prompted her with that trademark impatient cock of his head.

"Now that I know it's not your best asset, I'll have to come up with something else," she gave his crotch a pointed glance and smirked.

Sam's jaw dropped and he actually blushed.

"Sam Swarek, speechless and blushing. At least I finally got something good out of this night." Noelle grinned patted his cheek, and walked away toward her car. "Go put McNally to bed, Swarek. And for God's sake, keep it in your pants and let her sleep."

"Yeah, yeah, Williams, you're hilarious. Why don't you just play Marvin Gaye when we walk into parade tomorrow while you're at it?" Sam groused. He turned and scowled at Andy, who was openly laughing at him. "Who's side are you on?" he complained.

"I'm sorry," she gasped. "But she's got a point. I mean, who would have guessed there was something about you that could eclipse the dimples? No wonder you strut around the Division the way you do. Really, it's a wonder you keep your feet on the ground at all. Now I know why Monica hates me so much." she choked out, walking backward in order to keep a step ahead of him.

"McNally…" Sam warned closing the gap between them "Don't have too much fun with this. I'm sure you've earned a new nickname yourself." he said with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh God, you're right. Too soon. Let's not start a contest about who's most embarrassed about tonight." she said contritely. "Anyway, you heard Noelle, take me home to bed…Lover Boy." she added winked.

"You heard that, huh?" he asked making a grab for her. She dodged Sam's grasp with a yelp, spun and lunged toward his truck. Sam chuckled and rounded the front of the truck more slowly, glad for her lighthearted mood.

Just then Dov emerged from the shadows practically jumping up and down with excitement. "Hey Swarek, that was amazing man! It was so great to finally get to see the action as a major UC op goes down! You two rocked!" he enthused.

"Epstein, what are you doing up here?" Sam groaned.

"I brought your keys." He leaned in close as he handed them over. "Pretty great night, huh? You totally kicked ass, you get to take the hot girl home, and from what you all were saying I guess now she even knows you're, you know," Dov gestured halfway down his thigh. "Hung," he whispered.

Sam snatched the keys and crossed his arms over his chest. "Excuse me? Epstein, did you really just say that? You know, I was actually starting to be able to tolerate your yapping, and even occasionally find your spastic eagerness almost endearing. But really, kid, copping to ogling me in the locker room is pushing your luck." Sam mocked him, hoping to divert his attention.

"Oh no, no no. Sir, No! I don't do that, of course. It's just, well, it's common knowledge among the guys. And doing the assignment you just did, cozying up to someone as hot as McNally would make you-would make anyone, that is-you know…so of course she must have noticed." Dov babbled nervously. "Especially if Noelle even noticed from the Perv Post-that's what we all called her role in the op, by the way." He paused and frowned in confusion. "Wait. How exactly did Noelle notice? Unless…" His eyes widened.

Sam let out an irritated chuckle and clamped a hand on Dov's shoulder, turning him away from Andy. "Epstein, you really like to live dangerously, don't you?"

"No! SIR! I didn't mean any disrespect, Sir." Dov yelped.

"Listen up, because I'm only going to say this once. Letting your imagination run wild about things you don't understand could cause a lot of damage. If the gossip mill starts buzzing in the slightest about this op, you know Steve Peck and everyone else who is still ticked off about Bibby will use it to make McNally's life hell. So if you _ever_ ask a question like that or otherwise speculate about what happened in that room to me or Andy or anyone else in the entire friggin Toronto PD, you'll be trying to say your next words with a broken jaw and no teeth. You got me?" Sam said in his best hard ass voice.

"Uh, yes sir! You got it, Sir. It's in the vault!" Dov promised.

"Good, just make sure you upgrade you're your little Cracker Jack vault to something more like Fort Knox. Now get out of here. Go to The Penny and brag to some stewardesses. But Epstein? When you tell your tall tales about tonight, you leave me and McNally out of it. Got it?"

"Got it Sir! Absolutely. Not a problem." Epstein backed away with a nervous smile.

Andy laughed as she and Sam got in the truck. "Sam, I think you just made him pee his pants."

"Good. He needs the fear of God in him to shut down his overactive hormone-fueled imagination because Epstein's 'vault' is usually about as leaky as a damn sieve even before he's drunk," Sam grumbled.

Andy just patted his thigh. He looked over at her and couldn't help but smile and shake his head. Trying to be both lover and partner to McNally really was going to be the death of him, but what a way to go. He looked up at the sky thanking his lucky that stars death hadn't literally called his number tonight.


End file.
